GW Women's Hoops Falls to Richmond, 63-51

Tara Booker Leads Colonials with 14 Points

WASHINGTON - The George Washington women's basketball team could not overcome a torrid first half by Atlantic 10 Conference rival Richmond in a 63-51 loss at the Charles E. Smith Center on Saturday in the annual Play 4Kay game to increase breast cancer awareness.

The Spiders (19-5, 7-3 A-10) made their first 10 shots of the game and jumped out to a 20-6 lead at the 13:13 mark, but the Colonials sliced their deficit to six, 24-18, by forcing eight turnovers in the first 8:33 of action.

Richmond shot 71.4 percent (15-for-21) for the first 17 minutes of the game and finished at 57.1 percent for the half while taking a 39-26 lead at the break.

Three straight Richmond 3-pointers midway through the second stanza capped an 18-8 opening run that saw the Spiders take a game-high 23-point advantage, 57-34. The Colonials fought back with a 13-2 run that pulled them within 12 points, 59-47, with 6:21 remaining, but they could get no closer.